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Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program (SMBNEP) is one of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s 28 National Estuary Programs dedicated to protecting and restoring water quality and the ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance across the country. SMBNEP is implemented by The Bay Foundation (TBF) and the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission (SMBRC).
Discover the latest on our initiatives to protect and restore
Santa Monica Bay and its watershed.
| | Join an upcoming Santa Monica Bay Governing Board meeting on Thursday, 8/20/2026, to learn about ongoing initiatives and help support the health of Santa Monica Bay. All meetings are open to the public. | | Grow and restore Santa Monica Beach Dunes on Saturday, 7/11/2026 and/or Saturday, 7/25/2026. Learn about dune ecology and shape coastal resilience. | | Santa Monica Beach Dunes Model Resilience | | TBF and the City of Santa Monica continued expanding the Santa Monica Beach Dunes, building on restoration efforts that began in 2016. The restored footprint now spans 15.7 acres, with a long-term vision of creating more than 30 acres of coastal dunes stretching toward the Venice border. Since February 2026, TBF, supporting contractors, and volunteers have installed post-and-rope fencing, interpretive signage, native plants, and more than 143 pounds of native seed to help dunes form naturally and strengthen the shoreline against erosion, flooding, king tides, and sea level rise. Guided tours and community science activities also transformed the dunes into a living classroom, connecting visitors with native plants, wildlife, and the benefits of healthy dune habitat. As the dunes mature, they will continue providing habitat for wildlife while demonstrating how nature-based solutions can help make California's coast more resilient. | | |
2026 Abalone Restoration:
Shell-ebrating a Milestone Year
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2026 marks a milestone year for the Southern California White Abalone Restoration Project. This past spring, TBF and its partners- the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Paua Marine Research Group, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Aquarium of the Pacific - completed the largest white abalone outplanting effort in the initiative’s history. More than 6,400 white abalone were released across 6 reef sites spanning 3 regions throughout Southern California, more than doubling and, in some cases, tripling the numbers released in previous years!
Since 2019, the initiative has completed 13 outplanting events, resulting in the release of more than 26,000 captive-bred endangered white abalone into Southern California waters. 2026’s outplanting represents a major step forward in the recovery of this critically endangered species and demonstrates the restoration program's growing capacity and success. It also reflects the dedication and collaboration of the entire restoration program, from the success of captive breeding and rearing facilities, to the teams supporting permitting and project coordination, to the divers who release the abalone onto the reefs. This milestone represents years of collective work toward restoring self-sustaining white abalone populations and recovering one of California’s most endangered marine species.
Looking ahead, TBF and its partners plan to release an additional 10,000 abalone in fall 2026, including 5,000 white abalone at existing restoration sites and 5,000 red abalone at 2 new mainland sites in Point Loma and Palos Verdes. These efforts are being supported, in part, through grant funding from the Pacific Coast Ocean Restoration Initiative, helping to expand restoration activities and accelerate the recovery of Southern California's native abalone populations.
| | Sailing Toward Clean Waters | | |
With 4 million boaters, California has one of the highest rates of recreational boating in the U.S. This high volume of recreational activity on waterways can come at a cost. TBF empowers Southern California’s vast recreational boating communities to steward local waterways. Over the past 6 months, TBF and its partners have been hard at work engaging boaters and planning for upcoming outreach events. We’ve been working towards supporting cleaner waters by:
- Distributing over 3,000 California Boater Kits, which contain crucial pollution prevention resources for boaters across Southern California.
- Training over 120 passionate individuals to be certified Dockwalkers and help spread clean boating information throughout their communities.
- Advocating for 2026 spring Dockwalker trainings in the Channel Islands/Ventura area to further support and promote best management practices around the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
- Launching a marine composting toilet case study project by surveying over 60 Southern California boaters for participation. This project will ultimately increase our understanding of these self-contained, leak-free systems and prevent accidental boat-sewage discharges.
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Planning the first-ever Blue Waters: Santa Monica Bay Boating Festival, which will take place on October 3, 2026, from 10 AM to 2 PM and feature local partners, eco-exhibitors, an informative panel on stewardship, and more fun! Save the date and sign up for event updates.
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Empowering the Next Generation of
Ocean Leaders
| | Photo by Aquatic Futures Foundation | | | |
Collaboration is a keystone to SMBNEP and TBF, and recent funding opportunities have made it possible to take meaningful steps toward enhancing these goals. Beyond restoring habitats across Santa Monica Bay, TBF is uplifting community connections to the coast through collaboration with key partners such as:
Aquatic Futures Foundation (AFF) - AFF is helping build the next generation of marine scientists by providing SCUBA training, all necessary equipment, professional mentorship from experienced marine scientists, hands-on research opportunities, and much more. Meet Esteban, an AFF alumnus who now interns with TBF's Ocean Resilience team, where he contributes to kelp restoration and abalone recovery. AFF is currently accepting applications through 7/12/2026 for its summer 2026 open-water scuba-diving cohort. Share this with anyone interested in applying!
Black Surfers Collective (BSC) - BSC is expanding access to the ocean through surfing, environmental education, and community events that create welcoming spaces for youth and adults from all backgrounds. By fostering meaningful connections to the coast, the organization is inspiring lifelong ocean stewardship. BSC recently celebrated Nick Gabaldón Day and is kicking off their Pan-African Beach Days, where everyone is welcome to learn to surf. Make sure to save the dates!
These partnerships are empowering future conservation leaders and making the ocean more accessible for Angelenos. SMBNEP and TBF are proud to support and collaborate with these incredible organizations that are paving the way for the next generation of ocean stewards and building a resilient, accessible coast for all.
| | Another Successful Summer for CRI | | The Coastal Research Institute (CRI) is a partnership between Loyola Marymount University and TBF that studies the condition of the Santa Monica Bay. This year, TBF is funding 10 undergraduate students and 4 faculty members across 5 projects, which include researching and analyzing post-fire heavy-metal accumulation in mussel tissue, biodiversity in rocky intertidal habitats, and changes over time at TBF’s dune restoration sites. The work conducted this past June at the beach dune restoration sites builds on years of previous monitoring, providing important data on the effectiveness of restoration. The Manhattan Beach Dune Restoration Project (pictured above) was recently awarded the 2026 American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) Best Restored Beach Award and has seen substantial increases in biodiversity since 2020. The Manhattan Beach Dunes are currently supporting 13 native plant species, at least 35 invertebrate species, and an impressive 54% native vegetation cover! | |
CBS News: How underwater heroes are saving out kelp forests
CBS LA's Marina Jurica visits TBF's kelp restoration efforts off Palos Verdes to highlight the power of kelp forests.
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LAist: Santa Monica's sand dunes are mounting a low-tech resistance to rising sea levels
LAist explores how restoring the Santa Monica Beach Dunes is helping protect wildlife, beaches, and the coast for the future.
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CBS News: How The Bay Foundation is restoring Santa Monica's sand dunes
CBS LA Meteorologist Marina Jurica reports on TBF and its work to protect the coastline along Santa Monica.
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